Fiction set in the court of the Sun King

Explore the best fiction books set in the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Discover captivating tales of intrigue, romance, and power in Versailles with our curated list of historical novels.

Mistress of the Sun Cover
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Mistress of the Sun

by Sandra Gulland

An eccentric young woman's love for a wild white stallion tempts her into using an ancient magic that overshadows her subsequent life and leads to her affair with the charismatic Louis XIV.
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Memoirs of a Dwarf at the Sun King's Court

by Paul Weidner

Set in the over-scaled, decadent Versailles of Louis XIV, Memoirs of a Dwarf is the story of Hugues, an impoverished dwarf who maneuvers his way up into the very highest of court circles by clandestinely serving the needs of a mob of unscrupulous gamblers, of a priest notorious for saying black Masses at midnight, and--from under the gaming tables--of a number of sex-starved society women, including Louis's mistress. Along the way, Hugues finally discovers the truth of his own identity, a revelation which is a political bombshell and which subjects him to a grisly turn. The story combines historical events and characters--Louis, his mistresses, his outrageous brother Philippe, and many other baroque personalities--with fictitious ones. Hugues's tale reaches its climax during the famous affaire des poisons, the sexual and political scandal that thundered through the royal court and threatened wholesale destruction.
To Dance with Kings Cover
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To Dance with Kings

by Rosalind Laker

An epic generational tale of loves lost, promises kept, dreams broken, and monarchies shattered, To Dance with Kings is a story of passion and privilege, humble beginnings and limitless ambition. On a May morning in 1664, in the small village of Versailles, as hundreds of young aristocrats are coming to pay court to King Louis XIV, a peasant fan-maker gives birth to her first and only child, Marguerite. Determined to give her daughter a better life than the one she herself has lived, the young mother vows to break the newborn’s bonds of poverty and ensure that she fulfills her destiny—to dance with kings. Purely by chance, a drunken nobleman witnesses the birth and makes a reckless promise to return for Marguerite in seventeen years. With those fateful words, events are set into motion that will span three monarchies, affecting the lives of four generations of women. Marguerite becomes part of the royal court of the Sun King, but her fairy-tale existence is torn out from under her by a change of political winds. Jasmin, Marguerite’s daughter, is born to the life of privilege her grandmother dreamed of, but tempts fate by daring to catch the eye of the king. Violette, Marguerite’s granddaughter, is drawn to the nefarious side of life among the nobles at Versailles. And Rose, Violette’s daughter, becomes a lady-in-waiting and confidante to Marie Antoinette. Through Rose, a love lost generations before will come full circle, even as the ground beneath Versailles begins to rumble with the chaos of the coming revolution.
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Twenty Years After

by Alexandre Dumas

Twenty Years After (1845), the sequel to The Three Musketeers, is a supreme creation of suspense and heroic adventure. Two decades have passed since the musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu and Milady. Time has weakened their resolve, and dispersed their loyalties. But treasons and strategems still cry out for justice: civil war endangers the throne of France, while in England Cromwell threatens to send Charles I to the scaffold. Dumas brings his immortal quartet out of retirement to cross swords with time, the malevolence of men, and the forces of history. But their greatest test is a titanic struggle with the son of Milady, who wears the face of Evil. In his Introduction to this edition David Coward sets both the author and his exciting tale in their historical and cultural contexts. - ;Twenty Years After (1845), the sequel to The Three Musketeers, is a supreme creation of suspense and heroic adventure. Two decades have passed since the musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu and Milady. Time has weakened their resolve, and dispersed their loyalties. But treasons and strategems still cry out for justice: civil war endangers the throne of France, while in England Cromwell threatens to send Charles I to the scaffold. Dumas brings his immortal quartet out of retirement to cross swords with time, the malevolence of men, and the forces of history. But their greatest test is a titanic struggle with the son of Milady, who wears the face of Evil. In his Introduction to this edition David Coward sets both the author and his exciting tale in their historical and cultural contexts. -
Mistress of the Sun King Cover
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Mistress of the Sun King

 

No summary available.
The Man in the Iron Mask Cover
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The Man in the Iron Mask

 

No summary available.
The Women's War Cover
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The Women's War

by Alexandre Dumas

The Baron des Canolles is a man torn apart by the civil war that dominates mid-seventeenth century France. For while the na�ve Gascon soldier cares little for the politics behind the battles, he is torn apart by a deep passion for two powerful women on opposing sides of the war: Nanon de Lartigues, a keen supporter of the Queen Regent Anne of Austria, and the Victomtesse de Cambes, who supports the rebellious forces of the Princess de Cond�. Set around Bordeaux during the first turbulent years of the reign of Louis XIV, The Women�s War sees two women taking central stage in a battle for all France. Humorous, dramatic and romantic, it offers a compelling exploration of political intrigue, the power of redemption, the force of love and the futility of war.
The Three Musketeers Cover
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The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas

The classic adventure from the author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask. In this swashbuckling epic, d’Artagnan, not yet twenty, sets off for Paris in hopes of joining the Musketeers, that legion of heroes highly favored by King Louis XIII and feared by evil Cardinal Richelieu. By fighting alongside Athos, Porthos, and Aramis as they battle their enemies, d’Artagnan proves he has the heart of a Musketeer and earns himself a place in their ranks. Soon d’Artagnan and the gallant trio must use all their wits and sword skills to preserve the queen’s honor and thwart the wicked schemes of Cardinal Richelieu. With this classic tale, Dumas embroiders upon history a colorful world of swordplay, intrigue, and romance, earning The Three Musketeers its reputation as one of the most thrilling adventure novels ever written. An Unabridged Translation, Revised and Updated by Eleanor Hochman With an Introduction by Thomas Flanagan and an Afterword by Marcelle Clements
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The Vicomte de Bragelonne

by Alexandre Dumas

It is May 1660 and the fate of nations is at stake. Mazarin plots, Louis XIV is in love, and Raoul de Bragelonne, son of Athos, is intent on serving France and winning the heart of Louise de la Valliere. D'Artagnan, meanwhile, is perplexed by a mysterious stranger, and soon he learns that his old comrades already have great projects in hand. Athos seeks the restoration of Charles II, while Aramis, with Porthos in tow, has a secret plan involving a masked prisoner and the fortification of the island of Belle-Ile. D'Artagnan finds a thread leading him to the French court, the banks of the Tyne, the beaches of Holland, and the dunes of Brittany. The Vicomte de Bragelonne opens an epic adventure which continues with Louise de la Valliere and readies its climax in The Man in the Iron Mask. This new edition of the classic translation is fully annotated; and an introduction sets Dumas's saga in its historical and cultural context.
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Gardener to the King

by FrĂŠdĂŠric Richaud

"As gardener to His Majesty, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie is master of his own domain, the royal fruit and vegetable garden. Louis' generals might proclaim the power of France abroad, but La Quintine's espaliers and vegetable plots assert nothing less than man's mastery over nature; a garden that can feed a thousand at a sitting, standards of pruning that in three hundred years have never been surpassed."--Jacket.
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The Sévigné letters

 

No summary available.
Angelique Cover
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Angelique

by Sergeanne Golon

No summary available.
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[No Title]

 

No summary available.
Malice Cover
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Malice

 

No summary available.
The Mirror Makers Cover
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The Mirror Makers

 

No summary available.
The Moon and the Sun Cover
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The Moon and the Sun

 

No summary available.
The courtier's secret Cover
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The courtier's secret

 

No summary available.
Hour of the Wolves Cover
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Hour of the Wolves

 

No summary available.